Improvement in ladders



E.J'. SCHNEIDER.

LAIDIDER.

Patented Jan.11 1 876.

UNI'IED STA'IES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD SCHNEIDER, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENTJN LADDERS.

Specifieation frming part of Leiters Patent N0. 172,179,da13ed J anuarj 11, ;i15iad@ filed September 14, 1875.

T0 all whom z't mag; concern:

Be it known thal: I, EDWARI) J. SCHNEIDER, of Dayton, in the county -of Montgomery and in the State of Ohio, have inmnted certain new and useful Improvements in Ladders; and do hereby deelare that the following is a full, clear, and exaet deseription thereof,reference being had to the aceoinpanying drawings making a part: of this specificabion, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my imp-r0ved ladder closed and arranged for storage. Fig. 2 is a like viewof the sarne arranged for use as a step-ladder, and Fig. 3' is a perspective view of its central portion when arranged f0r use as an ordinaly ladder.

Letters 0f likenam'e and kind refer to like arts in eaeh of the figures.

The design of my invention is t0 combine in a eompaet and convenient form a step-ladder and an ordinary ladder which has twice the length of tl1e former; ancl t0 this end it consists in ehe means employed t'or loeking the laddersections' in their diiferent relative positions,substantially as is hereinafter sei? forth.

In the annexed drawings, A and A represent'a series 0f steps constructed of er from plane pieces 0f board, and haviug regularlydecreasing lengths from the lower step upward. The steps A and A are seeured in relative position by means of two side bare, "B and B, eaeh 0f which is provided upon its inner face with a transverse groove that reeeives and contains one end 0'f each step. Two serews, b am] b, pass inward through each side barinto each step, and serve to secure the same together, while a metal rod, G, passing through said side bars ab one er more poiuts between their ends, and having each end eonlzained within a metal clamp, c, that is placed upon tl1e outer faee 0f each bar,serves to strengthen and more closely confine together it-s parts.

A second and somewhat longer ladder is composed 0f' round rungs D and D, secured als their ends in the ordinary warmer into two plane side bars, E and-E, aud is hi'nged near its upper end to tl1e upper eud of the betredescribed laclder by means of Uwe straps, F and F, one of which incloses each of said side bars E, and, extending along each faee of on'e 0f the side bare B, is pivoted thereto by means 0f a rod, G, tl1at passes through the ends of said strap and through seid side bar B. As thus arranged, it Will be seen th'al: the laddersections ean be elosed together, as s'hown in Fig. 1; may be separated at their lower ende latter event the pivoted ends of ehe side barsi E and E will extend downward upon lobe frout edges of theside bare B ancl B t0 a suffieient; distance 110 give t0 l3he p0int 0f union 0t' sa-id sections strength equal to thai; possessed by any other portion 0f the combined extended ladder. In order Lhat Ehe ladder-sections 1nay be loeked in each of the three p0sit-ions described a metal bar, H, having the f0i1n showu in Fig. 2, is pivoted within a suitable bearing, I, that is seeured t0 01 upon the 0u1lser faee, near the upper end 0f one of the side bare B, With about; one-fifth 0f its length projeeting fr0in the front side 01 said bearing, and threefifths of its length extending rearward fro1n the Same. Upon the outer face ot lshe side bar E, immediately in rear 0t' the hearing I,

is provkled a metal Ing, K, Wlii(:l1 has the' shape shown in Fig. l, and engages With either 0f two notclxes, h and h, that are formed within the lower eclge Of the pivoted bar H,

one of said notches being plaeed in such position as 130 engage with said lag when Ehe laddensections are closed together, as seen in Fig. l, while the'seeond noteh is in position f01 engagement; when said seetions are arranged as shown b y Fig. 2, the result 0f such eonstruetion being that; said bar H operates as a loek, and insures the relative positions 0f said ladder-seetions when oeeupying eit her of the positions named. In Order that: tlxe ladder-seetions maybe locked in the relative positions shown in Fig. 3 a secend lag, K, similar in eonstruction t0 that before deseribed, is seoured uponthe side 0f the baxE, above its pivota)l bearing, and engages With a notch, h, that is provided-withiu the upper side of the forward portion of the loeking-bar H. II:

is found that the weight of the locking-baf is 'sufficient to hold it in engamgement with the locking-lugs; bat, if desired, a spring may be empl0yed for insuring such result.

The device is now complete, and furnishes in a compactform a step-ladder a.nd an extension-ladder, each f whi'ch is as perfect and convenientas though th6 Othe'r was 11011 G0'tnbiued therewith.

Having hus fully sei; forth the nature and merits 0f my invention, what I claimas new In 00m bina.tion witph t;hga sjde bars B and E,

purpose s et forth'.

In. testaimony thatt 'lclaim the foregoing I have hereunto sei; my band.

EDWARD J. SCHNEIDER. Witn'esses:

DAVID B. CORWIN, OLEMEN'J. L. BAUMANN. 

